It's been credited with creating a publishing boom, an unexpected baby boom and even a boost for the sex toy industry – but now Fifty Shades of Grey is being blamed for a rise in sexually-transmitted infections in the over-40s.

It's been credited with creating a publishing boom, an unexpected baby boom and even a boost for the sex toy industry – but now Fifty Shades of Grey is being blamed for a rise in sexually-transmitted infections in the over-40s.

EL James’ literary romp has set hearts racing and inspired couples everywhere to get a little more creative in the bedroom.

But it has been claimed the so-called “mummy-porn” phenomenon Fifty Shades inspired is partly to blame for a rise in diseases like chlamydia and gonorrhoea among the middle-aged in Wales, with many being unaware of the risks of getting experimental without adequate protection.

According to figures from Public Health Wales, instances of chlamydia diagnosed in people aged between 35-64 slowly crept up between 2006 and 2010, with 272 laboratory reports of anogenital chlamydia in 2010.

But a new report from the Health Protection Agency last week revealed new diagnoses of gonorrhoea in Wales and England jumped by nearly 25% in 2011, the year the Fifty Shades phenomenon first took off.

Out of 1,359 cases collected between July and September 2011, less than half occurred in younger patients aged between 25 and 34.

Swansea GP Dr Charlotte Jones said: “Following on from the popularity of Fifty Shades, there seems to be more out there which people are exploring.

“Often, people don’t think of the potential risks which come with exploring alternative ways of having sex – such as using condoms when using sex toys with a partner.

“That’s certainly not to say they shouldn’t experiment – just that they do it safely. Too often they may think messages about safe sex do not apply to them.”

Other factors thought to contribute to the rise of the sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) for Wales’ 40+ generation are divorce and online dating.

But for Becky Adams, a former madam currently working on the Student Sex Project with Swansea University, the trend is part of an overall sexual revolution for the older generation.

“I think it really started when Viagra made sex something that older people could do too,” she said. “It’s like a second sexual revolution, but for older people who may have had trouble before Viagra.

“But if you’ve come out of a long-term relationship or if you’re recently widowed, you’re probably very much used to having unprotected sex with the one person.

“Online dating means people can meet each other far easier nowadays, so it’s easy to see how this kind of thing becomes more common.”

Three years ago, sexual health charity FPA aimed to help people over 50 to be more savvy about safe sex, with a series of posters geared towards reminding the older generations of the importance of condoms.

But Becky, who was educated at a Brecon convent school, believes more needs to be done for the message to hit home.

“For me, being around that age, I would feel fairly embarrassed about going to the doctor about something like this.”

The 44-year-old now runs Para Doxies, a service which aims to match up disabled, terminally ill and elderly people with professional sexual partners, although her website is at pains to point out it is not an escort agency.

“We do see an awful lot of older people at Para-Doxies who are perhaps widows and single for the first time in their 60s and 70s – there’s always that longing for human contact and intimacy,” she said.

“Many of them feel far more comfortable with someone older.”

While Becky says sex workers tend to be more careful with STIs than the general public, Fifty Shades of Grey has impacted the trade in other ways.

She said: “We’re definitely getting a few clients who are quite interested in S&M, more so than I would have expected before. These books open people’s eyes to it and many of them just want to try something new.”

The phenomenon has led to warnings from health professionals who say spicing up the bedroom needn’t lead to an unpleasant visit to the doctor.

At the Royal Gwent Hospital’s sexual health clinic in Newport, professionals see an average of 13,000 people a month for STI testing.

Dr Clare Lipetz, a consultant in sexual and reproductive health based at the hospital, said: “When older people are sexually active after having left a long-term relationship, they tend to forget about things like contraception and STIs. We do try to promote safer sex for everybody – it doesn’t matter whether you’re 18 or 80.”

She added: “People are not just having more sex, they’re having sex for longer. Nowadays, people are being more open about sex. So long as that goes with safer sex, that can only be a good thing.”